Improvement in steam water-elevators



w. E. PRALL,

OF WASHINGTON, DSTRIOT Ol" COLUMBIA.

' Letters .Patent No. 97,226, dated November 23, '1865).

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM WATER-ELEVATORS.

ThelScheduIe referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the sume.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, W. E. InALn.- of Washington, in the county of Vashington, and District ot' Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVater-Elevating Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a t'u`ll and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation ot' my improved device.

Figure 2 is a plan view ot' a worm or coil of pipe, which may be placed within the case of the condenser, and thus be made to perform the function of condensing the steam, it being, iu such case, a substitute for the tubes shown in tig.`1.

Corresponding let-ters refer to corresponding parts. in the figures. p

This invention relates to that class of engiucswhich is used for elevating water from wells or other sources of supply, to any point above suoli source, steam being the agent employed for that purpose, and

The invention consists in the arrangement of the pipes which conduct the water to the generator, and the steam theretiom, it heilig designed as an improvement on the 'one for which an applicatioirwas filed by me in the United States Patent Otiice, on the (ith of August, 1869.

rlhe object of this particular arrangement-is to provide the means ot' adapting it to domestic purposes, so that the generater may be set in any position, either connected with a cooking-range or otherwise, and the elevating-niechanism in any other position, so that thel generator may be supplied from the hot-water cylinder, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

A, in the drawings, represents the'steam-generator,

which, in this instance, consists ot' a vertical tubular boiler, having an upper tube-sheet, to which the upper ends of the tubes are secured, and through which they he supplied with a door, for the. admission ot' fuelfa grate, upon which to burn such tuch-aud an ash-pit, for the reception ofthe ashes, all oi' which may be of the usual construction.

B represents the smoke-box or chamber, which is placed upon the top of the generator; and` the form shown in fig. 1, ofthe drawings, or of a form equivalent to that, in order that its outer or highest endmay conununicate directly with the condenser, while its inner or short end is connected directly to the generator, by means ofthe vpipes K and L.

E represents a bent pipe, which is to be attached to the upper portion of the steam-space, in the upper end of the hot-water cylinder, from which point it extends outward and downward, and then up, as shown in tig. 1, of the drawings, having its upper end attached to the pipe F, so that it forms the short leg ot' a siphou, and performs an otiice very analogous to that of a cutotl' valve in a steam-engine.

.F represents another pipe, the'lower end ot' which is to be secured to the hot-watercylinder l), at a point about midway oiits length, from which point it extends outward, and then upward, as seen in iig. 1, until it reaches au elevation somewhat abovethe upper surface ofthe condenser, where it is supplied with ahalf-turn, and' again carried downward, aud attached to a boss formed upon the cap or cover ofthe condenser. ,lhis pipe torms the `longr `leg of a siphon, its otiice being, at the proper time, to withdraw the water from the siphon or pipe lil, and thus open a steam-passage bctween the generator and the condenser. l represents the upper portion oi' the pipe F, it being enough higher than the. condenser to be filled with air or vapor at all times, except when steam is passing through it, and thus prevent any circulation oi'water between thegenerator and condenser at this point.

H represents a condellscr, which may be provided with a iarge number of tubes, it being desirable to have as many as possible, without making the condenser too large.

-lt will be seen that this vessel is to be provided with a flue-sheet near its lower end, to which the tubes or iiues are to he secured in the usual manuel', but so as to be water-tight tlcrein. Outside of the ends ot' these tubes, a chamber is to be provided, as shown in tig. 1, ot' the drawings. As a consequence ot' this arrangement oi" tubes, their upper ends are lett iree, and they can expand indefinitely, without causing any injury to themselves or to the vcssel'with which they are connected, and at the same time they present both their outer and inner surface-s to the heating-action of the steam, and the cooling eti'ects ot' the water.

lhc condenser, it will be seen, is connected to the Init-water cylinder, so that at every discharge of water trom such cylinder, thc tubes ofthe condenser, and the condenser itscli', are tilled with water supplied thereto by the induction-pipe J.

I 'have described the condenser as being supplied with tubes, for the purpose of increasing its coolingl surface, but it'rnay be supplied with such a device as is shown in fig. 2, which consists of a plate or plates of' metal, which are to be secured to the upper head of the condenser, and extend `downward to near the bottom thereof', and thus present the necessary heatahsorbing surfaces. Another, and an equivalent form,

would be to fill, or partially fill, the case of thc condenser with rods or pieces of iron., with which the steam and water would come in contact, and thus the heat-absorbing surfaces would be presented.

I represents awater-discharge pipe, which may be at tached tothe upper portion of the condenser, and which is to be supplied with a check-valve, when the water which it conducts away is to be elevated above its own level.

J represents the indnction-pipe for the water. It is to be secured to the lower portion of' the condenser, and may extend downward into a well or other source ot' supply, so as to conduct the water to the condenser.

The operation of this device will beas follows:

All the parts having been previously filled with water, except the pipe G, afire is, to be kindled in the generator. As steam accumulates in the top thereof, it will be forced out through the pipe K, into the upper portion of the hot-water cylinder, where it presses upon the water therein, and as there is no obstructions in any of the connections with the condenser, the pressure is at once communicated to the water therein, and the discharge-pipe, which is attached to the top thereot', discharges an amount of' water exactly equal to the quantity which was forced out oi" the hot-watercylinder.

The hot-water cylinder, which is connected with the generator by means of the pipes K and L, has acapacity much greater than that occupied by the quantity which is discharged at any one time, and, as a consequence, the water can never be drawn out ot' such cylinder, but is only forced downward therein, so that it is returned to the lower portion of the generatorl upon the refilling of' the condenser, which causes the hottest portion ofthe water in such generator to be brought into contact with the heated portion of the tubes, thus insuringr the rapid generation of steam for the next discharge into the cylinder.

The steam," as it accumulates in the hot-water cylinder, presses the water downward, until the water therein is below the water in the short leg of the si phon or pipe E, when it becomes the lightest column, when the water in the long leg of the Siphon takes the water from the short leg, and the passage-way connecting the hot-water cylinder with the condenser is opened, and the steam passes to the top of' the condenser, through the air-chamber or pipe GA The elevation of the condenser being greater than that otthe generator or hot-water cylinder, the water,

-in consequence of the gravity, passes downward out ot` the condenser, and forces the water back into the upper end of the hot-water cylinder, and from thence into thc generator, provided there is any spaceV not albv ready tilled, hy which the Siphon-pipe 4becomes filled again. The space made vacant in the condenser by this recession of the water, becomes filled with the steam from the generator, that is, as the water passes downward through the water-cylinder, the steam passes therefrom into the condensen and is brought into immediate contact with the cold surfaces then presented, which have just heen made cool by the receding cold water, as a consequence ot' which the steam is condensed, and a vacuum isf'ormed, when the inductionvalve opens, and water from the source of' supply rushes into the condenser.'

While the above-described operation has been going on, steam has been generating in the generator, which now rushes into the hot-water cylinder, and again presses the water down, and thus the operation will i be repeated as long as the tire is kept up in the generator.

Having thus f'ully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patlhe within-described a1"angen1ent of' the pipes K and L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of' two subscribing witnesses.

XV. E. IRALL.

Witnesses:

WM. T. FAnNnAM, Geo. W. FARNHAM. 

